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The nation’s top scientists recently laid out a roadmap for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a goal set by the Biden administration.
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Black Jewel was a coal company that operated in four states – Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming – and this July marked the fourth anniversary of the company filing for bankruptcy. Many miners in all four states had no notice and were left without paychecks or jobs. Award-winning journalist Ken Ward Jr. is based in West Virginia and has followed the story of Black Jewel. He recently published a story for ProPublica about the company’s mishandling, specifically in the Appalachian region. He spoke with Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan.
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About 2,000 people live in Kemmerer, which is in the corner of southwest Wyoming, where the mountains meet the desert. It is known for a few things – the original JCPenney store, ancient fossils and consequently, the fossil fuel industry. But, in late 2021, the company TerraPower, founded by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, announced their plans to build a nuclear plant nearby. While there is some push back with the project, the hope is to create ‘greener’ energy and jobs for former coal workers.
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One element of the BLM’s proposed Public Lands Rule would allow for so-called conservation leasing, which would enable public and private entities to carry out restoration work or compensatory mitigation to offset the impacts of projects. The Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, says that such leases could speed the development of clean energy on public lands, an important prospect given the Biden administration’s ambitious goal of permitting 25 gigawatts of such projects by 2025.
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As ambitious plans to deploy new nuclear technologies take shape around the Mountain West, a new poll shows Americans' support for nuclear energy is growing.
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Several universities in the Mountain West are competing this weekend in an international competition focused on building zero-energy homes.
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The Biden administration has approved a major high-voltage power line designed to deliver renewable energy from the Mountain West to population centers in the Southwest.
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Two University of Wyoming (UW) researchers wanted to understand how Wyomingites feel about the future of energy, including their perceptions and values. Selena Gerace and Jessica Western initially completed a survey of residents back in 2019. Gerace and Western decided to offer an updated version of the survey in 2022. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan interviewed Gerace and Western to learn more about the survey results and how they changed over the years.
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A book written by Former Wyoming Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal that was released late last year details the history of Wyoming’s tax structure and how the state’s economy has become so dependent on mineral extraction and the fossil fuel industry. Wyoming Public Radio’s Hugh Cook spoke with Freudenthal about his thoughts on the state’s current situation and its future.
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Data shows that over the last ten years about half of Wyoming high school graduates left the state, and many say it is because of a lack of opportunity. Rock Springs’ economy has long been driven by the nearby coal plants and natural gas fields – neither of which are booming like they had 10 to 20 years ago. But there are jobs opening up in other energy sectors, like the nuclear power plant that is being built at a former coal plant in Kemmerer. It is expected to create 2,000 jobs, including welders, mechanics, plant operators and electricians.